Equalizing system for steam-shovels and the like.



v L. WEHNER, EQUALIZING SYSTEM FOR STEAM SHOVELS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, 1913.

Patented Oct. 7, 1913.

3 SHEETBSHEET l.

L. WEHNER. EQUALIZING SYSTEM FOR STEAM SHOVELS AND THE LIKE.

a APPLICATION FILED FEB-17, 1913. -i,@75,1?8.

Pat ented 001:. 7, 1913.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

L. WEHNER. EQUALIZING SYSTEM FOR STEAM SHOVELS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION. FILED FEB. 17, 1913.

Patented Oct. 7, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3:

lllhl LEWIS "WEHNER, GE MADISON, WISCONSIN.

EQUALIZIING SYSTEM FOR Application filed To all {whom ii may concern Be it known that ,Lnwls Vt EI-IB ER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Madison, county of Dane, State of Wisconsin, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Equalizing Systems for Steam-Shovels and the like; and I dovhereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact Cl'GSCLiPtlOIl Of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whicl'i it appertains to rnake and use the same.

The invention relates tov apparatus tor compensating and equalizing the load on the several trucks or large portable machines, such as steam shovels, pile drivers, derriclts and the like, which are usually provided with four or more supporting trucks ad apted to be propelled and operated. upon four or more temporary tracks, which, because o'l their temporary character, present many ir= regularities which. would produce an objecrtionable shifting and irregular distribution of the load on the four trucks and consequent undue and unnecessary strains on the apparatus as whole, it no compensating means were provided to the dilticulty.

As indicated, the present invention is designed to remedy the objections noted, in a simple and cllicient manner, and further, to provide means associated with the equalizing or compensating devices for firmly and rigidly supporting the machine on all of its trucks when the machine has been brought to position to perform its particular work.

It has been attempted heretofore to provide machines of the character indicated with hydraulic or pneumatic means to serve as absorbers or compensator-s for the irregularities in the traclcway while the machine is being propelled, and also to provide independent devices for shoring up and truing the machine when in working position, but such constructions have not been wholly satisfactory or effective for the purposes indicated, owing to the uncertain action of the hydraulic'or pneumatic compensators and the tendency of the same to become deranged, and for the further fact that the shoring or leveling devices have usually been carried as separate demountablc parts of the apparatus to be placed in position and adjusted only after the machine has been brought to the place of operation. According to the present invention, however, these difiiculties are completely obviated, and the Specification of Letters Patent.

February 1?, 1913.

E-SHGVELS AND THE LIKE.

Patented @ct. "Z, 1913.

Serial No. 743,937.

improved mechanical means for compensating for the irregularities in-the trackway and for afi'ording a rigid support for the bodyot the machine when the same is in working position perform their "functions with certainty and economy;

In furtherance of these objects, flexible equalizing means is provided by furnishing the machine with a transverse system of bell crank levers pivoted to the sub-base and connected by a reach rod, the ends of the bell crank levers being connected by suitable center bearings to the front truck frames so that the front trucks are capable of independent vertical movement due to irregularities in the tracks, which movement is taken up by the system of compensating lovers without transmitting such movement to the sub-base and the machinesupported thereby. The rear of the sub-base is mounted directly upon two rear trucks in such way as to allow the trucks to adapt themselves to local irregularities in the track without imparting the resultantinotion to the sub-base. lnorder to provide for irregularities in the rails supporting an individual truck, each of the four trucks is so constructed that its frame is supported on the two axles by a three-point hearing which will allow the axles to move in a vertical plane with respect to each other and properly distribute the load of each truck on the four wheels thereof. The combination of the supporting means between the trucks and the sub basc and between the individual truck frames and their axles results in a proper disposition of the entire load on the machine among the several trucks and to the wheels of each truck, notwithstanding the irregularities of the various tracks, while the auxiliary supporting devices adjustably mounted between the compensating levers and the sub-base will admit of the rigid andstable support from the machine when the latter has been adjusted to its working position.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is made to the accompanying drawingspin which the invention is shown as applied to a steam shovel supported for move ment along afour-rail trackway by means of four trucks. It will be understood, however, that the invention is applicable to all propelled members, whether said members be trucks or other devices for accomplishing the same remachines having four traction sults, and it will beunderstood that various changes and modifications in the apparatus may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of. the invention.

' In'the drawings aforesaid, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the power portion of a steam shovel provided with a sub-base mounted on the supporting trucks in accord ance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a preferred form of front truck. Fig. 4 is a side elevation thereof.

' Referring to Figs. 1- and 2, 1 indicates the sub-base of the machine 2, the'character and construction'of which latter is immaterial to the present invention, but as illustrated takes the form of a standard type 'ofsteam.

shovel capable of revolving upon the subbase and provided with suitable mechanism for operating the shovel and for propelling the same along the trackway. ..Preferably, four trucks are employed for supporting the sub-base at its four corners, said trucks op erating upon four rails, as indicated, which latter are laid for temporary use and without any particular regard-to regularity and level. The'tworear trucks 3 directlysupport. the rear portion of the sub-base and in order to permit each of said trucks to adapt itself to local inequalities without imparting motion to the sub-base, each truck is connected to the sub-base by a center bearing, comprising a casting 27 which is carried by the frame 11 of the truck and a cooperating casting 27 connected to the sub-loase, and the truck frame is supported on the axles of the four wheels at only three points, as will he more fully described hereinafter. The two front trucks 4, 4, are also provided with four wheels, the truck frame 1.1 having a I three-point suspension on'the two axles of the four wheels aforesaid. The frame 11 of each truck 1 is preferably formed as a relatively heavy casting having a centrally disposed bearing socket 6, as indicated,-in

" Figs. 3 and 4, and each of said sockets is engaged by a rounded boss or center bearing 6 secured to the out-board end of a bell crank lever 5, which in tu-rn is pivotally connected by heavy lugs 1 to the sub-base 1, as indicated in Figs. 1. and 2. Each of said bell cranlc'levers 5 is pivoted to the sub-base laterally of the longitudinal axis of the latter and the pendent arms of said levers 5 are connected together bya reach rod 5.

A each of the four trucks is provided with four wheels that run on two trucks, it is desirable to construct the trucks so that the load will be distributed to the four wheels of each truck in a manner similar to he dis- 'tribution of the load-to the four trucks. The general construction of the front and rear trucks is the same, with the exception that the rear t s are provided with driving gearing by means of which the apparatus is propelled along the tracks, as will be hereinafter described.

Figs. 3 and 1 illustrate the construction of the front trucks which, as indicated, is substantially like that of the rear trucks, except in the particulars noted. The four wheels 7 of each truck are provided with flanges on each side of the tread portions to' retain the wheels on the rails constituting the trackway. Each pair of w'heels'is preferably keyed or otherwise made fast to the front andrear axles 9 and 10 respectively. A bearing frame orv supporting member 11 is mountedon the two axles and is provided at its rear end witha single bearing 12 which engages the journal 13 ofthe rear axle 10. The portion of the bearing 12 which engages the axle 10 is slightly curved or convexed longitudinallyto allow the axle to tilt transversely of .the truck. It is seen, therefore, that'the' said bearing frame ll is supported on the rear axle only at a point intermediate the ends of the axle. To secure'the bearing in place and to holdthe journal of the axle against the bearing 12, there is provided a bearing cap 13 which encircles the underside ofthe axle and is secured to the-frame 11 in any suitable manner. Pfeferably, ribs .or projections 14 are cast'integrally on the Jbearing frame 11 and one end of the hear- :ing cap is secured to these ribs by suitable bolts and nuts 15 and 16.

The other end of the cap is secured to the web portions 17 of the frame by similar loolts18. The frame is supported on the front axle attwo points adjacent the wheels, the two bearings. thus formed being provided with caps 13 generally similar to those associated with the rear axle, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, of the drawings, By this construction, it will beapparent that" the rear axle of each truckis free to tilt out of the normal horizontal plane of the four wheelsandconversely, the four wheels may tilt or change their plane without disturbing the position 1.107 of the rear axle. lrregularities 1n the rails will consequently not tend to throw the load 1 on two wheels only: of the truck, as would be the case. if the three-point suspension system between the truck frame and the axles were not employed.

Preferably, the rear trucksonly are provided with driving means for propelling the machine along the trackway, which'driving means comprises a shaft 21 journaled in the truck frame 11 intermediate the two axles. A pinion 22 is secured to said shaft 21 and meshes wit/h the toothed flanges 23 of the outside front and rear wheels, asindicated in Fi 1. The shaft 21 is driven preferably by a sprocket 26 located under the truck center so that the pull of the sprocket chain upon the sprocket, does nottend to prevent the truck from swiveling when the entire machinestrikes a curve iii 'the track.

i of the adjustment of the load carried by each truck "when being propelled along the tracks will distribute'its load not only to the four trucks, but to the four wheels of each truck. The three-point suspension of the individual trucks admits individual trucks wheels to irregularities of the track without disturbing the proper disposition of the to the several wheels of the truck. The center tween the frames of the rear trucks and the sub-base likewise admits of an adjustment of the truck as a whole to the track under it and serves to keep the two rear corners of the sub-base at the same height above their on tracks of unequal elevation,

Fm-thermore, as each properly whether these tracks are cranksystem connecting the two forward trucks with the sub-base admits of the said forward trucksoperating upon rails of different elevations without alfecting the subbase and, conversely, any angular change of the sub-base, due to the rear trucks running will not be transmitted to the front trucks. The load istherefore distributed on the four trucks so that each truck will support its proper proportion thereof irrespective of the unevenness or unequal elevation of the tracks. truck is provided with a three-point, suspension on its two axles, it is likewise capable of adapting itself to local inequalities existing in its track and to four wheels. The conjoint operation of the several structural arrangements results in the proper distribution of the entire load among all, of the wheels supporting the apparatus, so that each wheel takes its proper proportion of the load and the machine may be safely propelled along irregular and uneven 'trackways without imposing undue strains on any of the parts thereof.

If the tworails on one side of the track way happen to be at a greater elevation than the two rails on' the opposite side'thereo f, the belLcrank equalizer system will be tilted to compensate for such difference in elevation, but the sub-base 1 retains its normal position and the load will be pro erly tglistributed to thefour trucks. If, on the '0 er hand, the four rails are substantially in the same horizontal plane, but one rail of one hearing bedistribute itsload to each of its.

side of the trackway is elevated slightly above the adjacent rail, the. truck engaging these two rails of unequal elevation will be tilted, but due to the center bearing connection with each truck frame, such tilting will not be transmitted to the sub-base by the rear trucks or to the equalizer system by the front trucks. It is obvious that such inequalities of two adjacent rails would tend to throw the entire weight, which each truck normally supports, On two of the .wheels of such truck. This, however, is prevented by supporting each truck frame at three points only on the axles, as already described, so that local inequalities 'will not cause the four wheels of each truck to be tilted in unison in the same horizontal plane, but only one axle of each truck is permitted to tilt in a vertical plane and such tilting will be eifective to properly distribute the load carried each truck to each of the wheels thereof. It follows, therefore, that all inequalities of the trackway, whether such inequalities are relative to both sides of the track or to the two rails constituting one side of the track, are effectively compensated and the weight is distributed not only to the four, trucks but to theindividual wheels of each truck. I When the machine is brought-into position for operation, it is necessary that the sub-base and the superstructurebe firmly supported against any tendency'to tilt and, in many cases, the machine must be sup ported with the sub-base level. To effect this object, it is proposed to provide each forward corner of the sub-base with a selfcontained supporting and leveling device, which in the construction shown, takes the form of jack-screw 4Q, adjustably mounted in the threaded nut 41 rigidly secured to the I frame of the sub-base so that when the jackscrew is retracted, it will lie substantially within the frame of the sub-base, but when the said jack-screw is rotated to cause it to move downward in its threaded nut, the .head portion thereof engages the upper face of the bell-crank lever, preferably in alinement with the center hearing 6, so that the front portion of the sub-base is rigidly supported from the trucks and may be accurately adjusted to level position.

What I claim is 1. In a machine of the class described, provided with four supporting trucks, the combination with the two supporting trucks at one end of the machine, of a direct flexible mechanical connection between said trucks, said connection adapted to permit one of the trucks to move upward and the other to move simultaneously downward with relation to the machine body.

2. The combination with a machine of the class described, mounted direc'tlyjupon two rear trucks, of two frontsupport-ing trucks,

and compensating mechanism disposed between said front trucks and the forward portion of the machine.

- 3. The combination with'a machine of the class described, mounted directly on two, rear trucks,- of two front trucks, an eagaam .syste'm comprisingbe'll-crank levers and anintermediate'reach rod supported by saidv .front; trucks, and connections between the respective bell-crank levers and the forward portion of the machine.

4. The combination with-a machine of the class described, of four supporting trucks two of which directly support one part of the machine,- an equalizer system comprising connected bell-crank levers supported by'the other two trucks, and. connections between i ing said bell-crank levers with the other part Y izing system comprising two bell-crank leversand a reach rod connecting the same, said bell-cranl levers being supported at, their outer ends by the two trucks aforesaid,

. and means .for supporting one portion'ofthe machine from said. equalizer system intermediate the ends thereof.

7. A support for machines of the charactendcscribed, comprising four load sup-1f porting trucks, an equalizing systemcorn prising two bell-crank levers and a connect-- ing reach rod supported by center hearings on two Tof said'trucks, and means for con-' meetingthe machine body directly to two of the four'trucks and to said equalizing systemintermcdiate the ends of the latter.- 4

8. Ina machine of the class described provi'ded with four supporting trucks, the combination with flexible equalizing means as sociated with the two supporting trucks at one end of the machine whereby the weight 'ofthe machine is distributed between the several supportingtrucks independently of inequalities of the track, of means associated with said trucks wherebythe load on each truck is distributedto the wheels there 'of independently of irregularities of the track.

9. The combination with a machine of the class described of four supporting trucks each including load equalizing means, direct connections between two of said trucks and one part of the machine, and an equalizer system disposed between the machineand the other two trucks.

105111 a ,machine, of the class described provided'with four supporting trucks, an

equalizer system disposed between two of the trucks and the machine body to permit ver tieal movement of the trucks relative to the machine body, and independent means for rigidly supporting the machine body from the two trucks aforesaid.

11. In alnachine of the lass described provided with four supporting trucks, an' equalizer system disposed between two of the trucks and the machine body to permit vertical movement of the trucks relative to the machine body, and adjustable jack screws, for rigidly supporting the machine body from the two trucks aforesaid.

12: In .a machine of the class described provided with four supporting trucks, an equalizer system disposed between two of the trucks andthe machine body to permit vertical movement of the trucks relativezto.

the machine body," nd adjustable jack screws carried by the inachinebody' for rig-- idly supporting the machine bodyfrom the two trucks aforesald. v i

v 13. In a machine of the'class described provided with four supporting'tru ck's two-of which are directly connected to the machine body, an equalizer system disposed between the other two trucks and the machine body, said system comprising bell cranks connect. ed by center-bearings with the respective trucks, a reach rod between said bell cranks,

connections between each .ofsaid bell cranks and the machine body, and jack screws carried by the machine and adapted torbef, adjusted to afi'ord a rigid support betweenthe machine body and the trucksasso'ciated with equalizing means. e

ln testlmony whereof I afiix my. signature, in presence of two witnesses.

- LEWIS WVEHNER.

Witnesses I JAMES B. BLAKE, XV. F. ADAMS. 

